


100 Ways To Say I Love You

by typewriterandtea



Category: Major Crimes (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-11
Updated: 2016-07-18
Packaged: 2018-04-14 04:38:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 9,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4550745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/typewriterandtea/pseuds/typewriterandtea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>100 way to say I love you. </p><p>Prompts can be sent to my tumblr inbox - @lauraadama - or you can leave them in the comments below.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Pull Over. Let Me Drive For A While

.

Day 1 / "Pull over. Let me drive for a while"

Somehow, Sharon and Andy had let Provenza talk them into a "couples' weekend away to Las Vegas before he finally tied himself down for, what would hopefully be, the last time", though secretly Sharon was sure that it was Patrice's idea to invite them along - possibly for her own sanity.

Much to Sharon's surprise, it had been a fun trip, not at all what she had expected. She and Patrice had even managed to talk the boys into going to a Celine Dion concert with them, but the pair got their own back by dragging them along to a Las Vegas 51s' baseball game.

The only part of the trip she regretted? Deciding to save money by driving.

Driving for over four hours really wasn't her cup of tea.

"Pull over. Let me drive for a while" Andy offered as he watched Sharon's eyes grow heavy from a no stop weekend in the city that never sleeps. "You drove the whole way there as well, you should at least let me drive some of the way home" He insisted, glad that his girlfriend's stubbornness was at an all time low when she was both tired and suffering caffeine withdrawals.

Sharon didn't protest as she pulled the car over into the hard shoulder of the free way, happily abandoning the driver's seat in favour of the passenger's seat, content to search for the nearest Starbucks on Google maps.

As he pulled the car back out onto the freeway, Andy shook his head as he caught sight of Sharon wrapping herself up in the travel blanket she had insisted on taking with them. "Maybe we should go back for Rusty's 21st?" He joked, as Sharon curled up in her seat, kicking off her heels as she pulled her legs under her. "Yeah, and what exactly would you and I do at a 21st birthday in Vegas?" Sharon mumbled, feeling sleep calling her into dreamland as her eyes flickered closed, her head facing Andy as she made herself comfortable in her seat.

Andy shrugged his shoulders, his eyes on the road as he tapped his fingers on the steering wheel as he calmly suggested, "Oh, you never know, we could always call into the Little White Chapel and see Elvis."

That was most certainly one way to keep Sharon Raydor awake.


	2. It Reminded Me Of You

Andy usually paid no attention to the jewellery store on his way back from the afternoon lunch run. It was an upmarket family owned business where the assistants knew most customers by name and looked down their nose at anyone who dared to simply 'window shop' in their establishment. He was confident that it wasn't the subtle 'sale' sign that had grabbed his attention, but rather the simple diamond pendant in the display case.

It wasn't as ostentatious as the jewels that fringed the display case, that sparkled as though they had been taken from Harry Winston's vault, yet it was timeless and elegant - like his Sharon.

His time in the jewellers had been an uncomfortable experience. His instance that all he wanted to view was the small cushion cut diamond necklace in the front display case wasn't enough to stop the bubbly blonde, twenty something year old sales assistance from showing him the matching earrings, bracelet and even pointing over to engagement rings of a similar cut.

"All I want is the necklace" He insisted once more as he fished around his wallet for his debit card, promptly handing it over to the young woman before she could force any more pieces - "that would match the necklace ever so well" - at him.

Getting the necklace into the office hadn't been the easiest of adventures.

He had driven into work with Sharon that morning, and didn't have his own car to store the gift in. The black gift bag, which was embossed with the jeweller's name in gold foil, and tied up with an ivory silk ribbon, was noticeable from a mile away.

"Hey, Flynn! Some of us are hungry here!" Provenza called, his arms out in protest as he watched his partner in crime stalk across the room, abandoning the plastic bag of sandwiches from the local deli onto his desk while he opened the larger bottom drawer of his desk, stowing the giftbag inside. As he slammed the drawer shut, Sharon appeared from her office, blissfully ignorant of her partner's mad dash to hide his latest purchase from her.

Provenza raised his eyebrow, leaning back on his chair as he placed his hands on the back of his head. Flynn was up to something; most likely something involving the Captain. If anyone else had thought his behaviour was strange, no one remarked on it.

Wordlessly, Andy handed out the sandwiches, mindful of the secret locked away in his desk drawer.

By the time they wrapped up their paperwork, Andy had insisted on driving home, the dark circles under Sharon's eyes were too prominent for his liking. Their case had dragged on for almost a week and taken an emotional toll on all of them. Sharon waited for him in the lobby while he went down to get the car, taking a moment to hide the gift bag away in the boot of the car.

When they got back to her apartment, he waited until they had eaten and Sharon was on the phone to Emily before he went down to the garage to retrieve her gift.

She was always at her most emotional after speaking to Emily or Ricky on the phone. After all, she only got to see the pair a handful of times a year, and even then it was usually only passing visits.

When he returned to the apartment, he closed the door lightly behind him as he heard Sharon placing the phone back down onto its hook. "Sharon, can you come and check something in the kitchen for me?" He called, the gift bag placed promptly in the centre of the marble worktop at the end of the kitchen while he waited for the woman to appear around the corner from her writing desk.

"What is it?" Sharon asked as she pushed herself up from her seat, walking over to the kitchen.

Spotting the giftbag on the marble worktop, she raised a suspecting eyebrow. Andy was never the sort of person to shop, and she was confident Rusty couldn't afford to shop at upmarket jewellers. "What is it?" She repeated, her eyes fixed on the bag as she came to a stop in front of it. "Nicole's birthday is next month - isn't it?" Sharon questioned, confused as to why he would have purchased something from the jewellery store for no apparent reason. "It is, but it isn't for her" Andy revealed, his eyes focused on her, his arms pressed against the worktop as he leaned forward.

"Who's it for then?" She asked, shaking her head as she sat herself down on the bar stool, curious as to who was getting gifted the exquisite gift. "It's for you - open it" Andy prompted, nodding his head towards the gift bag as he let a smile slip onto his lips. He could only hope that she liked it, as much as he thought she liked it.

"Really?" Sharon asked, her fingers making quick work of the ribbon before she retrieved the velvet box from inside the gift bag, opening the clasps on either side of the box to reveal the pendant inside. She wasn't used to being given gifts. In the early years of her marriage, Jack used to lavish her with gifts; Manolo shoes, trips to New York, and even a new car after Ricky was born. She had gotten used to buying things for herself, receiving only a birthday and Christmas gift for selective friends and family. "Oh, Andy, it's beautiful" She breathed, her fingers ran along the delicate white gold chain as the diamond glimmered when it caught the dim light of the kitchen.

"It reminded me of you" He revealed, as he rounded the marble worktop to stand beside her, taking the chain from her hands, waiting for her to lift her hair back, before he dropped the chain around her neck and did up the lobster clasp. "Perfect" He said, moving around to drop a kiss on her cheek.


	3. No, No, It's My Treat

"I'll give you the money for the tickets" Andy promised from where he stood watching over Sharon's shoulder as she ordered their tickets for the Dodger game, typing in the digits of her debit card as she shook her head. "No, no, it's my treat" She insisted, keeping her eyes fixed on her laptop as the payment for their three tickets were processed.

"Do you think he really wants to come to the game with us?" Andy asked, unsure if his girlfriend's son wanted to do anything that involved him. After all, between work and their dinners, Sharon had practically no time to spend with Rusty.

"Oh. He's coming with us if he likes it or not" Sharon countered, knowing that the sooner the two main men in her life got over their differences and became friends, the easier it would be for all of them. Part of the reason they had danced around the line between 'friendship' and 'something more' for so long, was because of Sharon's need to put Rusty first, before everyone else - even herself.

"I don't think so, Sharon" Andy disagreed as he walked towards her office door; he and Rusty weren't close to begin with, the teenager always had a better relationship with Provenza than himself, but he knew that had to change, for Sharon's sake. "Just pick us up tomorrow at noon, and we'll see for ourselves" She proposed, hoping she could talk Rusty into giving Andy a chance - that's all he needed to do, give Andy a chance to get to know him.

Sharon had fixed the final hair pin into her hair, adjusting her Dodger's hat on top of her head when Rusty appeared at the door of her bedroom. "What am I meant to wear to a baseball game?" Rusty asked, shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other. He had never been to a baseball game before, nor had he ever went anywhere with just Sharon and Andy; it was always just him and Sharon, or Sharon and Andy - never the three of them, together as some kind of a dysfunctional family unit.

"Just something casual - jeans and a shirt" Sharon suggested, reaching across her vanity to retrieve her makeup bag, catching sight of the look of confusion on Rusty's face. "Is something wrong?" She asked, standing up from her seat to look at him. "I just...never thought I would see you in a baseball cap" Rusty confessed, remembering how he had originally thought the woman was nothing more than an Ice Queen in overpriced Manolo Blahnik shoes - he couldn't have been more wrong. Back then, he would have thought that Sharon wouldn't have been caught dead wearing a baseball cap, nor would he have thought that Andy would unexpectedly been through into the role of substitute father figure.

Rusty had never had a father before; even his biological father had been a poor excuse for a man, let alone a father. He wasn't overly sure if he wanted a father figure in his life, let alone if he wanted that person to be Andy. He had just gotten used to having Ricky and Emily as part of his family, he needed a while to adjust to everything.

The knock at the door echoed around the apartment. "Rusty, will you get that? It's probably Andy" Sharon called, one hand pressed against her bedroom wall while the other attempted to master the art of getting his foot into her wedges one handed.

An uncomfortable silence fell over the pair as they waited for Sharon.

Andy buried his hands in the pockets of his trousers, while Rusty crossed his arm defensively as he leaned back against the worktop. Both were relieved when the sound of Sharon's shoes started heading towards them, gradually getting louder as Sharon grew closer to them.

"Shall we get going?" Sharon asked, collecting her handbag and blazer from the kitchen table.

The journey to the stadium had been uneventful.

Sharon asked Andy about Nicole's stepsons, and their conversation filled most of the car ride.

When they arrived at the stadium, Andy led the way through the stalls and towards their gate. "I've never been to a stadium before" Rusty announced shyly, his eyes focused on taking in the sights around him while his stomach tried to deal with the mixing smells of hot dogs, popcorn and alcohol. "I'm glad we could change that" Andy said, his hand resting against Sharon's lower back as they leisurely walked through the crowds.

"I like your hat" Sharon remarked, a chuckle escaping from her lips as Andy put on his own Dodger's baseball cap, taking their colour coding and outfit matching to a whole new level.

"The kid doesn't have a Dodgers hat" Andy commented from the top step of the stand as Rusty moved down the steps in search of their seats. He had bought Sharon the hat as a joke when he took her to a Dodger's game last summer, and ever since she wore it religiously, either to the game or if they were watching it together. He of course, had bought himself a new one when getting Sharon's, ignoring Provenza's witty remarks when he caught them wearing matching Dodger hats at Sharon's apartment on the 4th July. "You'll be a miracle worker if you can get him to wear one" Sharon said, doubting that anyone could get Rusty to wear a baseball cap.

"Why don't you go down and sit, I'll get our drinks and something to eat" Andy offered, not waiting for Sharon's answer before he headed in search of the nearest food and drink stand.

By the time Andy had stood in the lines and fought through the crowds, the game had already started, the players moving around the pitch towards each base. "My treat" Andy declared, the handle of a white gift bag slipped through his wrist, a brown paper bag of food in the other, and a plastic drink holder with two Cokes and a small bottle of Chardonnay. "Did you buy the whole shop?" Rusty wondered, reaching out to take the tray of drinks from the man while Sharon took the bag of food. "Andy gets a bit carried away at Dodger games" Sharon remarked, opening the bag to dig out the two burgers, fries and a poor excuse for a chicken caesar salad. "I almost forgot how much I love stadium food" She said sarcastically, handing the food out as Andy sat down on her left side, Rusty already settled at her other side.

Remembering the bag from the souviener shop, Andy slipped it off his wrist and handed it over to the teenager, who managed to pull himself away from the game long enough to look at Andy. "That's for you as well, kid" He said, hoping Rusty would take his peace offering.

"Thanks, Andy" Rusty acknowledged his gift with a nod of his head and the flicker of a smile, shaking his head humorously as he took the baseball hat from the bag. "I should have known" Sharon said, seeing the small gift as more than just an act of kindness on behalf of her partner, but more as a peace offering to mend the bridges of their relationship.

In one swift movement, Rusty placed it on his head as he leaned forward, his elbows pressed against his knees before his eyes returned to watching the baseball game like a hawk. The game hadn't been going on for any longer than fifteen minutes, but Rusty was already captivated by it. "If you've turned my son into a crazy Dodgers fan, then on your head be it" Sharon teased, unable to believe how quickly Rusty had relaxed around them both.

Who would have thought that a Dodgers game was all it would take to fix whatever problems Andy and Rusty had?

"I think I could live with that" Andy decided, looking over Sharon's head at the teenager who stood to his feet in annoyance as the other team scored a home run.


	4. Come Her, Let Me Fix It

Andy had paced the floor of Sharon's apartment at least a dozen times.

His daughter - his only daughter - was getting married today.

He was lucky to even be invited, but when Nicole was a child, this wasn't how he imagined her wedding day to be. Andy had imagined that he would have spent the entire day with his daughter, preparing her for the service to come, as he bid her farewell from his family before driving off with her to the church to give her away to her husband to be. He never imagined that he would be simply meeting her at the door of the church; but then again, he was lucky to even be invited.

It didn't make her nerves any lesser though.

He wanted the day to be perfect for his daughter; and he couldn't even do his tie up properly, nor could he get the flower pinned to his jacket.

What sort of a father of the bride was he?

"What's wrong?" Sharon asked as she appeared around the corner, smoothing out an none existing crease from her red satin dress. She could feel the tension in the room from a mile away, after all, at one stage today he was against going to the wedding at all.

"I can't do my darn tie, and I have no idea how to get this blasted flower on!" He exclaimed, his frustration getting the better of him as he gave up trying to fix his tie and lifted the flower box from the marble countertop of the island in the middle of the kitchen.

"Come here. Let me fix it" Sharon prompted him forward with her hand, meeting him half way in the kitchen. While he held onto the box with the white rose, Sharon straightened his tie, patting his chest with a smile. "You certainly scrub up well" She complemented him, watching out of the corner of her eye as a smirk slipped onto his face, playing on his lips as his cheerful disposition returned. "Well, it's an important day. Not that I can't scrub up nice whenever I want to...I mean, for the right person I can...not that I don't.." Andy tripped over his words as he took a moment to admire the way Sharon's dress wrapped around her curves, elongating her legs while having a slightly lower cut than her normal dress, but still suitable for the nature of the occasion.

His ex-wife would have a cow - and perhaps the entire barn as well - when she that Sharon was his plus one.

His friend, Sharon.

"You look amazing, Sharon" He breathed, his voice dropping an octave or two as his eyes caught hers. Gently, she lifted his hands off the box, taking it into her own possession before retrieving the simple white rose from inside. The box was abandoned on the work top as she sowed the pin through his blazer, doing up the clasp before she ran her hand down his chest, fixing the creases in his shirt. "Come on. Let's fix this between you and Nicole" She said, her voice filled with promise as she took his hand into hers.


	5. I'll Walk You Home

After watching the fourth of July fireworks, the team had decided to go out for drinks at a bar just down the street from Sharon's apartment, letting Rusty get some much needed sleep before work the next morning on 'Mike's show'.

Mike left the bar first, staying for only one beer before insisting that he had go to be able to get up early enough the next morning to take his wife and son out for a family day. Buzz wasn't far behind him, having left his first drink largely untouched.

The excitement of the day and the usual stress that came with paperwork had tired Sharon out. She finished her glass of wine and stopped Provenza from buying her a second one, claiming that she wanted to get home to check on Rusty. They all knew that Sharon wouldn't stop worrying about her son until Stroh was locked up somewhere for good, preferably with the key thrown away. At least now, she wasn't letting Stroh rule their lives, but the fear was always there.

"I'll walk you home" Andy decided, standing from the bar seat to gather his jacket from the back of the chair, throwing it on as he gathered up his wallet from the table. Provenza was about to protest at his friend's unusually early departure, but was silenced by Andy's sharp glare. He wasn't about to let Sharon walk home alone, even if it was only a few blocks away. Provenza silenced himself as he raised his pint of beer, muttering under his breath about idiots and dancing around lines, earning a chuckle from Amy who nodded her head in agreement.

While Sharon gathered her things, Andy went in search of her coat from the cloak room, helping her into her trench coat before he bid his farewell to the remaining members of the team, letting his hand slip onto the small of Sharon's back as he guided her out of the bar.

"You didn't have to walk me home you know" Sharon reminded him, burying her hands in her pockets as she walked beside him. Over the last few weeks, she had gotten used to being so close to him. Last week at dinner, she had even walked arm in arm with him through the restaurant. It was the small things that were starting to build up; bringing them closer and closer to the conversation that would no doubt change their entire relationship. "I know" He assured her, wanting her to know that he was there by choice. He wanted to make sure she was okay and that she got home safe; it didn't matter where they were or who they were with, she would always be his top priority.


	6. Have a Good Day At Work

Sharon rarely got sick. In fact, she had yet to take an official sick day since joining Major Crimes. Though when she got sick, she usually ended up on bed rest for a week - at least.

"Are you sure you don't want me to take the day off?" Andy asked as he haphazardly knotted his tie, his eyes fixed on the woman in the bed. He had never seen Sharon so sick before and frankly he was worried. He stepped forward to take the thermometer out of her mouth, considering calling the Doctor at the sight of her temperature.

Sharon shook her head, struggling against the desire to sneeze loud enough to bring down a house of cards. "You need to go to work, plus, I don't want you to get sick either" She insisted, burying herself deeper into the covers as she pulled her extra fleece tight around her chest. She had already sent Rusty off to work, ignoring his protests to stay at help her rest. She was better off with no one else in the apartment, that way she could sleep in silence. If Andy stayed home with her, he would only be checking on her every ten minutes and she wouldn't get any sleep at all.

He knew it was better not to fight with her. "Okay then, do you have enough tea?" He asked, glancing towards the travel mug that he had filled with green tea that sat beside her plate of untouched fruit. "I think you've made me enough tea to last a lifetime" She assured him, anxious to send him off to work so that she could go back to sleep.

As he made his way out of the bedroom, Andy adjusted his belt, his eyes still fixed on Sharon. He hated seeing her so sick, in fact, he couldn't stand it. "Have a good day at work" Sharon called before she buried herself further into her covers, trying to down out the sounds of her coughing. "It won't be a good day at work without you there" Andy replied from the living room, Sharon's paperwork secure under his arm. "Make sure you call me if you need anything" He shouted from the front door, before he exited the apartment. Sharon sighed heavily as she heard the door shut behind him; as much as she loved Andy, which she most certainly did, he could be impossibly over protective at time.

Before her mind could wonder any further, sleep captured her as its willing victim.

Provenza sent Andy home in the early afternoon, claiming that he couldn't "deal with the love sick puppy who was texting the Captain every two minutes to make sure she was warm enough or had something to drink".

Instead of waiting around for the elevator to ping at the ground floor, Andy took the stairs - going up them two at a time, beating his own record when he reached Sharon's floor within a minute, glad that her apartment wasn't far from the staircase.

Sharon looked up from the stove as she heard the door creak open to reveal her partner, who stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of her. She was dressed in a pair of plaid pyjama bottoms, a v-neck tshirt and was wrapped up in Andy's grey dressing robe, her hair gathered at the top of her head in a messy bun, loose strands of hair framing her face while her glasses sat perched on the edge of her nose.

"What are you doing out of bed?" He asked, shaking his head at Sharon's stubbornness, unsurprised that she was making herself soup. Sharon opened her mouth to speak, but was stopped short as she sneezed into her tissue, her voice growing hoarse when she began to cough heavily. "I thought some soup might help" She confessed shyly, knowing that she shouldn't have gotten out of bed so soon.

Stopping at the stove, Andy took a momentary glance towards the boiling pot of vegetable soup, before returning his attention to the woman at his side, his arm wrapped around her shoulder as he guided her away from the kitchen. "Let's make a deal," He proposed, earning a gentle hum of agreement from Sharon "You stay on the couch and I'll finish your soup" He concluded as they reached the couch, helping her down onto the seat, watching as she wrapped a fleece around her, before he headed back into the kitchen.

Sharon touched no more than a few spoonfuls of her soup, refusing to go back to bed. "I'm not a child, Andy" She reminded him as she leaned over him to reach the remote on the coffe table, flicking through the channels, ignoring the repeat of the latest Dodgers game before she came to a stop at one of the movies channels that was showing 'The Sound of Music'.

As the movie played before them, Andy slipped his arms around her waist, taking her to his side, letting her head come to fall on his chest. After all, Andy was practically Sharon's life size pillow. They spent most of the movie in a comfortable silence. Sharon was happy to simply relax while Andy was content at being able to keep a close watch on the woman in his arms. "How was work?" She asked curiously, keeping her eyes fixed with fascination on the screen as Maria danced across the villa courtyard with her Captain. "Dreadful without you" Andy teased, knowing that no matter how hard Provena tried, he would never be the Captain.


	7. I Dreamt About You Last Night

Andy rarely suffered from separate anxiety - in fact, he doubted that he ever had.

Sharon was an exception to that.

No sooner had he dropped her off at LAX airport before he started counting down the days and hours until she would return home.

He kept the Facebook app opened on his phone around the clock, watching as notifications continue to blow up his phone, telling him of Sharon's visit to the Laduree store, or how she and Emily had just been to see "The King and I" on Broadway. Provenza had even went to the extent of confiscating his phone off him during office hours, "You would think you were a love sick puppy - strike that - you are a love sick puppy, Flynn!" he reprimanded Andy as he locked the man's iPhone away in his desk drawer.

The apartment was practically empty without her; especially with Rusty away on a college trip.

Andy was about to head to the gym to avoid the silence when a low ringing sounded around the apartment. "What the hell?" He thought aloud, following the noise until he came to a stop beside his laptop, clearly he had forgotten to turn it off that morning. "Sharon" He mumbled when he caught sight of her Skype profile picture on the screen, enthusiastically hitting the accept button as he stumbled over his own feet in an attempt to get into the seat at Sharon's desk.

"Hello stranger" Sharon greeted him, a beaming smile playing on her lips as she took in the sight of the man before her, raising an eyebrow at his appearance. Had he shaved since she left? Not that she didn't find it a little attractive, it was just that he was usually so well kept. "Sharon" He breathed, adjusting the brightness on his screen so that he could see her better.

She spent most of the conversation telling him about all the 'adventures' she and Emily had undertaken while in New York. They had gotten lost in a few book shops, with Sharon spending a small fortune on a few hard to find editions, before matters got even worse when they landed in the middle of the Nordstrom and Henri Bendel sales. "Did you buy the entire shop?" He teased, knowing that while Sharon rarely shopped for herself, it was almost exclusively big ticket items, always choosing quality over quantity. "Well, maybe a new pair of shoes or two..." She said, stretching the truth a little, confident he would never let her live it down if he caught sight of the three boxes of Manolos in her suitcase, but after all she did still have gift cards from her birthday to spend. It was Andy's turn to raise his eyebrow, shaking his head as he imagined that there was slightly more than just a pair of shoes or two extra coming home with her.

He sighed as he contented himself to watching Sharon through the computer screen, wishing that she was instead sitting in front of him and not at the other end of the country. "I dreamt about you last night" He confessed with a heavy heart, they had hardly spent any time apart since she had joined their division, and even less since they had gotten together. Sharon felt a momentary tinge of regret for not inviting him along for the trip, but it was intended to be a mother/daughter visit so that she could spend some much needed time alone with her only daughter. Next time, she would have to bring Andy along. "Do you miss me that much?" She joked, trying to lighten the atmosphere before she leaned closer to her computer screen. "I'll be home on Friday night, that's just two more nights away. Why don't you go and stay with Nicole?" Sharon suggested, hoping that the boys would serve as a welcome distraction for Andy, fill his time with joy and happiness until she came home.

"Maybe" He replied, considering his options, mindful that the silence of the apartment was slowly driving him to insanity. Perhaps the boys could take his mind off Sharon - at least for a little while.

Hearing her phone ringing in the background, Sharon quickly said her goodbyes, making a promise to phone him first thing in the morning. As the screen before him went blank, Andy sank down in his seat, letting the silence wrap around him as he closed his eyes.

Just two more nights; he could only hope that she wouldn't haunt him in his dreams again.


	8. Take My Seat

Andy could have cursed Provenza.

The man had been married practically more times than the entire team put together, yet he still insisted on having an engagement party. It didn't help that he and Sharon had to cancel their reservation at one of their favourite restaurants, especially when Andy had spent days trying to get their booking.

Trust Provenza to blow up his plans.

Sharon had headed home to change, while Andy headed straight to the bar with Provenza to help him set up. "Oh don't complain Flynn, we all know that if it was you and the Captain, you'd be shouting about it from the rooftops" Provenza reminded his younger friend as he pushed the two tiered engagement cake into the middle of the table, resisting the urge to sample the frosting. Truthfully, the only bit about getting married that he actually enjoyed was the food - and the cake.

Andy couldn't disagree with him; after all, if he and Sharon were engaged, then he was sure he would have been unbearable.

Though did Sharon ever want to get married again?

Did she want to get married to him?

Her family had been unrecognisably changed in recent years; the addition of Rusty, her divorce from Jack, the adoption, and now their relationship.

He was brought out of his train of thought when Provenza reappeared in the room with another box, dumping it at Andy's feet. "What's this?" He exclaimed, wondering how much junk Provenza had brought along for the party - it was only the engagement party, not the bloody wedding. Provenza shook his head in defeat as he rested his hands against his back, confident that he had already pulled out at least one muscle. "Patrice bought it all - I told her I'd set up, I just didn't imagine that it would be this darn much!" He insisted, amazed that his usually minimalistic fiancée had gathered such an outrageous amount of decorations and trinkets for the party.

It had taken them two hours, three beers, two diet lemonades and an extreme amount of willpower to get it all set up. They had only made it by the skin of their teeth. No sooner had they finished attaching the silver ribbon to the final ballon, than the bar door opened to reveal the first of the party guests.

Sharon appeared twenty minutes later when the part was in full swing, her hair twisted back in a bun, her red wrap dress hanging loose around her curves as she balanced herself in a pair of suede stilettos. Rusty trailed behind her, dressed in his Sunday shirt and trousers, thankfully having managed to talk Sharon out of making him wear a tie. Cutting through the groups gathered around the bar tables, the pair eventually reached their small circle of friends.

"Take my seat" Andy insisted as he stood up from the bar stool, taking Sharon's hand to help her up before he contended himself to simply stand beside her while Rusty set off to make the best of the open bar; non-alcoholic of course.

The night wasn't as thrilling as an evening filled with upmarket Italian cuisine would have been; but they both enjoyed the time they go to spend with team. Though Andy was sure that Sharon had enjoyed it a little more than himself. He even caught her peeking into one of Patrice's bridal magazines, remarking on how much she enjoyed the fact that lace was back in season for wedding dresses.

"You better go and take Sharon away from all the wedding planning" Rusty suggested from his corner in the booth furthest from the bar, he had to be one of the youngest people there by at least a decade. His only saving grace was the free wi-fi so that he could occasionally watch Netflix when Sharon or Andy weren't forcing him to socialise. "That might be a good idea" Andy agreed, leaving Rusty in the booth to cross the bar to where Sharon was sitting with Patrice and Amy, enthusiastically flicking through the glossy pages of a small mountain of bridal magazines.

"Hi" Andy greeted, his hand coming to sit on Sharon's shoulder as he glanced down at the magazines. "Hiya, are you boys ready to go home?" She asked, moving in her seat to look up at the man, her eyes glancing over to Rusty. Most of the guests had already started to leave the party and it was only the team and Patrice's family left. "I think we best get Rusty home before he runs out of battery in his phone and actually has to socialise" Andy suggested, a tired smile playing on his lips as he bid Patrice and Amy goodbye before headed back to the booth to retrieve Rusty.

"Did you have a good time?" Andy asked, helping his partner into her trench coat before leading the way out of the bar. "I do love anything to do with weddings" She reminded him, reaching out to take ahold of his hand, lacing her fingers through his as they walked down the dimly lit street, Rusty heading on in front of them to unlock the car.

As they reached the car, Sharon let go of Andy's hand before she kissed his cheek affectionately. "I particularly love planning weddings" She teased with a smirk, her words stopping Andy dead in his tracks as he watched Sharon walk around the car to get in the passenger seat, a skip in step.


	9. I Saved You a Piece

**Day 9 / "I Saved You A Piece"**

It had been _well_ over a decade since the last time that Andy had been at a children's party.

Nicole's youngest step-son, James, was turning 5 and to celebrate Nicole and her husband were holding a family barbeque, with some of the boy's friends invited along. Not surprisingly, Andy found himself roped into manning the barbeque while Sharon was put on desert duty.

"You really saved Nicole's skin. She nearly had a meltdown when the bakery called to say they couldn't do the cake" Andy confessed, remembering the tearful phone call he had received from his daughter the day before, mumbling about how no where would be able to do a cake at such short notice, and that James couldn't have a birthday _without a cake._ "It was no problem, I haven't made a birthday cake since Ricky was a teenager" Sharon revealed, basking in the memories of how she used to bake all their birthday cakes. When Ricky and Emily were younger, they would insist on helping, even if they ended up eating more of the frosting than they actually put on the cake. She had been happy to help, and she had even managed to drag Rusty into helping her - though she wasn't sure how the rainbow cake would go down with the kids, but Rusty had promised her that it was _the 'new in thing'._

Andy pulled the car into Nicole's driveway, parking it behind her SUV. "Can you get the presents out of the boot, I'll take the cake?" Sharon suggested before she bailed out of the passenger seat, passing Rusty as he shyly stepped out of the back seat. He still wasn't completely comfortable being in Nicole's home, especially with her family there, but he was slowly adjusting to a life with a much larger family than he ever could have dreamed of.

Rusty buried his hands in his pockets as he stood beside the boot, watching as Sharon attempted to balance the cake box and the extra plates she had brought along, while Andy took a hold of the brightly coloured giftbag and the small array of balloons that Sharon had insisted on getting.

The front door of the house was flung open, a voice sounded around the front garden, drowning out the patter of feet against the coble stones of the driveway. "Granda Andy! Sharon!" James called, ignoring his stepmother's calls for him to not scruff his new shoes as he came to a stop in front of the couple, wrapping his arms tightly around Sharon's legs, greeting her before he moved onto Andy. "You have to come and see the bike I got!" The child insisted, his smaller hand wrapped around Andy's as he pulled the man towards the front door, a laugh escaping his lip when they reached the front door.

"Are all kids like that?" Rusty asked, taking the plates from Sharon as he followed her lead into the brightly decorated house. He wondered if there was ever a time that he was as happy as James, that he was ever as care free as the boys who were lucky enough not only to have such a kind father and stepmother, but an extended family to support and love them. "All children deserve to be as happy as that - no matter what end of the children spectrum they are" Sharon said, mourning the childhood that Rusty had been robbed of by his selfless mother; forced to grow up too soon in a harsh word. Rusty nodded his head in agreement, hoping he could have some positive involvement in the lives of the two young boys who played 'cowboys and Indians', and played around Sharon's skirts.

When they reached the kitchen, Nicole greeted Sharon with a gracious smile, thanking the woman as she took the cake box from her, opening the lid to glance inside at the white buttercream frosting that had been piped onto the top of the rainbow cake. "Is there anything you'd like me to do?" Sharon offered, lifting the cake out of its box and positioning it on the cake stand before fringing the top with the birthday candles. "You've done more than enough. Why don't you go outside with the boys? Maybe just stay clear of mum" Nicole suggested, doubting that Sharon would appreciate a run in with Andy's first wife.

* * *

Andy spent most of his time behind the smoke of the barbeque, letting Rusty help him hand out the burgers, hotdogs and chicken wings. Slowly, the pair of them were starting to come to terms with being around each other. Andy wasn't ignorant to Rusty's protectiveness of Sharon, after all his birth mother had taken several male partners during Rusty's early childhood, and none of them had been good for either Sharon Beck or Rusty. Andy just had to show him that he wasn't like those men, that he could never hurt Sharon in a million years.

Once James blew the candles out on his cake, Sharon helped Nicole hand out the slices of cake. "I miss this kind of thing you know" Sharon confessed, sometimes she felt as though she didn't have time to even appreciate life. She was glad of her position in the LAPD, and her life had changed for the better because of it, but there was times that she would go days on end without being able to spend any actual quality time with either Rusty or Andy. Sharon cherished these family moments, but she couldn't help but wish that Ricky and Emily were her as well. So far, she had only ever had all three of her children under the same roof once at Christmas, and she was yet to get them all at home at the one time with Andy there as well.

Sharon was brought out of her train of thought when Andy appeared in the kitchen, Rusty coming behind him with a stack of dirty dishes. "Is there no cake left?" He asked, his eyes moving across the kitchen in search of the cake. Sharon rolled his eyes as she turned to lift a plate from behind the boxes of leftover food. "I saved you a piece" Sharon assured him, lifting off the napkin to display the freshly cut piece of birthday cake that she had savoured for him, hiding it from the younger birthday guests who were enthusiastically filling themselves with a little too much sugar. "You're a star, Sharon" Andy thanked her, dropping a kiss on her cheek as he took the plate from her.

Only a few years ago, Sharon could never have imagined a life like this - with a dysfunctional family to call her own. While Ricky and Emily were away from home, she would always have Andy and Rusty, by extension Nicole and her family as well.

Maybe it was time to make some new family traditions.


	10. I'm Sorry For Your Loss

Sharon's father hadn't been well for years, but his death had been quick in the end.

By some miracle, Sharon had managed to get to his bedside in time. Her sister had phoned her around lunch with the news that their father had taken another devastating stroke. _"I don't think he'll make it Shar, you need to get here_ " Her sister's words were enough to send Sharon darting out of her office, her handnag flung over her shoulder while her thumbs shook over the touch screen of her iPhone.

Two phone calls and a police escort with flashing lights to LAX was all it took for Sharon to get on a plane to Salt Lake City airport. Her parents' timeshare in Park City had once been their escape from the real world, filled with nothing other than happy memories of the rare occasions, no more than once a year, that their family was all together under one roof.

When Andy's phone rang late in the evening, he knew it couldn't have been good news.

"Sharon" He greeted, anxiously listening to the defeaning silence on the other end before he could hear Sharon's shaking breath as a sob escaped her lips. "He's gone, Andy" She sobbed, finally letting her emotions get the better of her. Out of the three O'Dwyer children, she had been nearest to her father; inheriting most of his personality traits. Their relationship had been rocky during her marriage to Jack, and afterwards, once she finally took her father's advice and separated from him, she still never managed to spend enough time with him.

Sharon was always her father's daughter, and always would be.

The news had came so suddenly that it had been left to Provenza to tell Andy and Rusty what had happened, Sharon hadn't even enough time to stop by the condo to get some clothes. "Rusty and I will be down on the first flight in the morning" He assured her, walking across the condo to retrieve Rusty's laptop from the coffee table. He had planned on staying over at Sharon's that night regardless, and had texted her to let her know that he would still stay off to keep an eye on Rusty; to give her one less thing to worry about.

"Andy, you don't have to..." Sharon began, shaking her head as she wrapped her cardigan tighter around her. Her sister was in hysterics, her older brother on a flight from London and it was left to her to be the rock for their mother to lean on. If Andy and Rusty showed up, then she wasn't sure how long she would be able to keep it together. "Sharon, your family might need you but you need someone to help you, let the kid and I come down in the morning. He'll want to go down at the light of dawn" Andy reminded her, not looking forward to having to share the news with the teenager who would no doubt want to get down to Park City as soon as possible. He placed his phone on loudspeaker as he brought up the webpage for Virgin Airlines, his heart stopping for a moment when he caught sight of the photo frame that sat proud of place at the side of Sharon's desk. The photo had been taken two Christmases ago, and right front and centre was Sharon on a leather sofa, her arm wrapped around her father, while her mother stood on her face other side as her three children stood behind the sofa, smiling up at the camera in their cringe worthy Christmas jumpers that Sharon had no doubt guilt tripped them into wearing.

The sound of her mother's tears echoed throughout the top floor of the house, making Sharon sigh with a heavy heart as she shook her head. "I have to go Andy, text me your arrival time" She concluded, feeling a sense of emptiness eloping her in an unwelcomed embrace as she ended the call. As she leaned back against the recliner, Sharon watched as her phone screen illuminated the room around her, a photo of Rusty, Andy and herself at a Dodger's game had been saved as her wallpaper, bringing a moment of relief to one of her darkest moments.

* * *

The next morning, Sharon hadn't expected to come down to the Kitchen find Rusty and Andy making breakfast.

Andy looked up from the grilling pan in time to see Sharon attempting to compose herself for the sake of the two men in front of her. "We took a red eye flight and rented a car as soon as the car rental opened, Rusty remembered where the key was so...we thought we would make ourselves useful" Andy explained, abandoning his position in front of the stove where he was making a batch of Sharon's favourite pancakes, to walk towards the woman who was frozen on the spot at the door of the open plan kitchen.

"Sharon" Andy coaxed, reaching out slowly to place his hand in the woman's arm, letting her interlock their fingers together before she stepped into his arms, her own arms wrapping themselves tightly around his waist. As though she was afraid that she might lose him as well. "I'm sorry for your loss" He whispered, his hand coming up to rest on the back of her head, buried in her freshly dried hair as she hid her face in his shoulder. "I'm just glad you're here Andy" Sharon confessed, knowing that for once in her life, she wasn't going to be the one bearing the cross; for once in her life, she had someone to lean on for support - both metaphorically and literally.

Moving out of Andy's arms, Sharon stepped forward to hug Rusty, who squeezed his adoptive mother tightly as he closed his eyes for a moment. "It's going to be okay, mom" He promised her, knowing that it was times like this that he had to keep in mind his mother's strong sense of religion and be respectful of it. "I'm going to go and finish getting everything ready, then I'll help you get Grandma Jane and Aunt Hillary down" Rusty announced, mindful that this was his chance to give something back to Sharon, to make her life a little bit easier to let her work her way through her grief.

As Rusty left to set the table, Sharon turned to face Andy, reaching out to rest her hand on his chest. "My father would have liked you Andy, I just regret that he never got a chance to meet you in person" She confessed, wishing that she had of listened to her mother's pleas for her to take more time off work, to come down to see them more often, but the last few years had been a rollercoaster for her - moving to Major Crimes, Rusty coming into her life, her divorce from Jack, the chaos that had been Phillip Stroh and now her relationship with Andy.

Sharon had brought Rusty with her to visit her parents during the summer, and while they knew about her relationship with Andy, neither had been given the opportunity to meet him in person, briefing meeting him through a Skype call a few weeks prior.

She could only be comforted in the knowledge that her father approved of the man before her, and that he was glad that she had finally found true happiness. It would take time for the wounds to heal, but she would never be alone in her mourning - she would always have Andy and her kids, no matter what.


	11. You Can Have Half

Andy had been eyeing up Sharon's dessert from the second it appeared from the kitchen.

His latest fitness kick was gradually getting the better of him. Well aware of how his last diet had ended up, Sharon asked for his reasoning behind the sudden change after spotting the changes in his eating habits. " _Well, you know Sharon, I'm not as young as I look, and I want to be able to run around after those grandkids of mine for as long as possible - and you and the kid for that matter as well"_ He explained, adding a teasing smile in an attempt to lower the tension in the room.

Now, two weeks into his diet, he was slowly losing his will to go on - especially when Sharon decided to order the strawberry cheese cake for dessert at one of their favourite restaurants. His fruit bowl looked rather unappetising compared to her choice.

Sharon rolled her eyes as she reached across the table to pick up his bowl of lack lustre fruits, setting it to the one side before she pushed her own dessert into the middle of the table. "You can have half" Sharon proposed, not surprised when the man didn't protest, instead choosing to dig into the cheesecake. He froze before he could put the first bite in his mouth, "You won't tell Provenza will you?" Andy asked, well aware that his partner in crime would never live it down if he knew that he had only lasted two weeks on his diet. Sharon chuckled to herself as she shook her head, leaning forward to scoop some of the ice cream onto her spoon, "I won't tell him, as long as you don't tell Rusty's that I had a burger for dinner" She compromised, knowing that if her son found out that they had burgers without him, then he would demand to know why they didn't bring him one home.


	12. Take My Jacket, It's Cold Outside

Andy had never expected to be the sort of person to go Christmas shopping in New York; but there was nothing in this world that he wouldn't do for Sharon.

The infamous "Sharon Effect" had extended to more than just his change of personality. For once, he actually enjoyed going to the theatre, even surprising Sharon with two tickets to see Wicked on Broadway.

He gladly carried Sharon's shopping bags for her, content to try to make her life a little easier in any way that he could.

Though it wouldn't hurt if she could stop buying so many pairs of shoes.

The one thing he did hate though was the weather. Neither had expected the temperature to drop so much that evening when they came out of the theatre.

Sharon had chosen not to bring along a cardigan for her dress, claiming it would clash with her navy DVF dress, her newest pride and joy. "Take my coat, it's cold outside" Andy warned her as they stopped at the doors inside the theatre, waiting for their hired car to arrive to take them back to the hotel. She didn't protest to his proposal, instead she let him drape his coat over her, styling it as an oversized blazer.

"Next time I take you to New York, we should check the weather forecast before we pack" Sharon proposed, shaking her head in annoyance as she followed Andy's lead out of the theatre. "Come on, Sharon, you like any excuse to steal my clothes" Andy reminded her, his mind drawing back to the oversized LAPD sweatshirt and his old Dodgers hoodie that she had claimed as her own. She rolled her eyes as she took his hand, letting him help her into the back of the BMW. "It's not my fault that your clothes are comfy" She defended herself, letting her shoulder sink into the material of his blazer as she contented herself with resting her head on his shoulder as the car pulled away from the theatre and down the illuminated streets of NYC.


End file.
